Traveling trunk



April 14; 1,533,856

" W, HARRISON TRAVELING TRUNK File Feb.-= m4 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 April 14, 1925. 7 1,533,856

w. H HARRISON TRAVELING TRUNK Filed F615. 9. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

} 1,533,856 PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, or rHILAnnLrHIA, PENNSYLVAN A r aAvELmci TRUNK.

Application filed February 9, 1924. Serial No; 691,800.

To all whom it may concern: 'Be it known that I, \VILLIAM HENRY IIIARRISUN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traveling Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a trunk of such construction which is so equipped. that articles of clothing may be so packed therein as to be properly associated to occupy the smallest possible space, to be held securely against displacement, and to hekept tree from objectionable creases and wrinkles.

This invention does not relate to what are conunonly known as wardrobe-trunks, but

to trunks in which the clothing is stored flatwise on the bottom of the trunk beneath a horizontally arranged cover.

In my application for patent filed Feb. 9, 1924:, Serial No. 691,801. I have shown a garmenthanger of such construction that a suit of mens clothes as well as other articles, such as socks, ties, handkerchieis, etc., may be associated on the-same hanger, hung in a ,closet or elsewhere when not packed or worn. and held in such condition that these articles while stillassociated and sup ported on the hanger, may be transferred ipiicklv and easilvto a trunk For traveling purposes.

The invention herein shown, described and claimed relates to the construction of a trunk especially adapted to receive and hold the articles of clothing thus associated and supported. and to the combination of a specially constructed. hanger with the new construction of trunk.

As explained in my applii'zation for patcnt above mentioned, the hanger comprises two cross-pieces arranged one above the other and flexibly connected by cordage in such manner as to hold the cross-piecesa short d stance apart. The upper crosspiec: is provided at opposite ends with knobs which are adapted to engage guides or sock cits in a trunk ot' the coiiistruction herein after more fully described.

According to the invention herein claimed, the trunk is provided at its four corners with vertical guides or sockets adapted to receive the knobs of the hangers and to hold the hangers with the clothinn thereon. against itlis 'ilacement. These guiiiles are oi. such construction that a plurality of hangers may be held in each pair of guides and the hangers may be easily placed one above the f other in the guides and as readily withdrawn therefrom. A large number of suits or sets of clothes may thus be placed in the trunk and held securely against displace ment. In order to hold the hangers and clothes in place when the trunk is not coinpletely filled I employ a follower consisting of a thin, stout piece of paper-board or wood which is held in place bystraps provided with quick-acting buckles,

Preferably sufiicient space is n'ovided above the space occupied by the clothes and hangers to accommodate trays adapted to hold small articles of clothing, such as hats, caps, etc. Instead of using a single tray. as usual, I preferably use two trays which are relatively small and light and thus more easily handled. These trays are supported on the tops of theguides or sockets before referred to, and horizontally arranged cleats secured to the frontand back. walls of the inside of the trunk. I In the accompanying drawings l igure l is a perspective view of atraveliug trunk embodying my improven'ients, the lid being partially ra sed and one of the trays removed. I

Figure 2 is a plan view oi the trunk bod y with the lid removed and indicates how clothing is packed thereiuwhile supported on hangers. i

Figure 3 a perspective view of a nan ment hanger ofthe kind shown, described and claimed in my application. for Patent Serial No. 691,801. filed Feb. 9. 1924, and this kind of hanger is employedto su 'iport the clothes when being packed.

Figure 3 is a pBl'SIwCtlVG view. indicatingifliow a suit ot clothes may be supported on one of the improved hangers "Figure 4 is a view similar to li igure' .2, showing how the follower is arranged on top of the clothinu and held in place by straps having quickacting buckles.

Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section at the trunk hodywith the two trays therein. the lid being: removed.

Figure 6 a view on an enlarged scale and in perspective of one corner o't'the trunk. showing more clearly the construc [son and arrangement of one of the guides or sockets and indicating how the arment jhangers are connected with these guides.

The trunkbody A is provided with the usual li d B, and, the body and lid are equipped with the usual strengthening and reinforcing devices and suitable locking and fastening members. lit-the four'cor-- guides O. adapted to receive knobs on the garment hangers of the kind illustrated inFigures 11ers of the trunk there are vertical and Each of these guides e ytends from the bottom of thetrunk vert cally the knobs of the hangers maybe inserted in the tops of the tubes while the. shanksof the knobs enter the SlOtSw In this way herb zontal movement of the hangers is: prevented.

Asbefore stated, the guides C and strips D terminatebelow theupper edge of the. trunk body, leaviuga suflicient space for the accommodation of the trays G. Preferably two trays are used andthey are supported partially on the tops of the guides and strips and partially on horizontally arranged cleats secured to the front and back walls of the trunk body in a horizontalplane coincident with the horizontal plane of the tops of the guides and cleats These may bensedt-o pack hats caps; and various small articles of clothin and, being relatively small and light, they may be easily handled. i

The follower,'hereinbefore referred to. is indi 'ated at-H. It may be made of paperboard. wood or' other suitable material and is shaped to extend from one endof the trunk to" the other and to lit between the guides and cleats. It ,is loosely contained iu-the trunk and is held in place whenthe trunk is tightly packed by straps M having quick-acting buckles m.

The garment hanger, shown and '3". comprises a lower cross-pieceN and an uppercross-piece O, which are connected by cordage l and Q, arranged inithe inanuer shown in my application for Patent Serial NO; GOLSOLfiled Feb 0,192+. 11

order toetrcngthen the upper crossrpiece O.

I employ a wire R attached at its opposite ends to the crosspiecc O and provided with cves' tln'ough which tl'iecordage' extends.

uected with a hook-S which may be detachably connected--w1th the cordage, as shown. At each end of the upper cross-piece there is a knob 0 having a shank o. of.- reduced diameter.- I Figure 3 llltllC-ElttS.l1Q\V-: il Slll.t of clothes Q :p anesomewhat below the up'peredge o the trun body and on, opposite SlClQS of each gu de in Figures 3 ihe upper portion of the cordage P is conincluding a coat, waist-coat, and trousers, maybe associated and supported on a. single hanger. Two pairs of trousers may, if prei-iiekigiae supported on the same hanger and other articles of clothing, such as socks, handkerchiefs, etc, may be also thus supported If a traveler has several suits of clothes, each suit being supported on one of the improved hangers.-v and: desires-1;. to: pack "vhis' clothing for trai cling purposes, ;hemerely takes-down from-its support the hangers and suits in succession, andeach suit is laid flatwise in the trunk, in the manner indicated in Figure In packing the first suit, the knobs 0 of the upper cross-piece O of the hanger are inserted in the tops of two guides C, at front and back of the trunk.

These knobs can slide easily yertically, the

shanks 0' ofthe knobs sliding in the slots so that horizontal movement of the hanger a-ndclothes isprevented, but the suit can be lowered without being folded and deposited on the bottom of the trunk. The nextsuit of clothes is inserted in the trunk in a similar way, the upper cross-piece 0 being connected with the vertical guides C at the opposite end of the trunk. as indicated in Figure 2. Aplurality of suits may thus be packed, each suit being laid flatwise, one above the other, without changing the natural creases and without producing additional creases or wrinkles. lVhen the trunk is completely filled, the follower H is placed. on the topmost suit and the straps -M. are

applied and fastened securely. WVhen this is done there is no possible danger of the hanand clothing being displaced. \Vhen arriving at the destination of the traveler the follower H may be withdrawn and the suit-s ofelothes on their hangers successively removed and hung up in a closet or elsewhere for future use.

As before stated 1 preferably employ two short trays instead of a single long one, and 2 it will'be observed that each tray G is sup ported at oneend on the tops of the guides C and cleats D and at its inner-end each tray is supported on the cleats E. It is not essential, lmwcver, so far as part of my invention is concerned whether trays are used at all or whether a plurality of trays or only one is used The guides C being held by the cleats or strips .1) ashort distance. from the ends of thetrunk, sufiicient space is provided to accomn iodate those portions of the trousers extending across the upper cross-piece of the hanger as well as those parts of the cordage disposedabove the cross-piece.

' The knobs on the ends of the garn'ient hangers while free to move vertically in the slotted tubes or guides while packing or un- ,pac king. elfectually prevent the hangers packed. The lowermost hangers rest on the bottom of the trunk and the trays rest on the tops of the tubes so that there canbeno escape of the hangers from the guides when the trunk is closed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A traveling trunk having within it 011 oppositesides, open ended vertical guides which are shaped to receive and retain the ends of cross bars of garment hangers at the four corners of the trunk, the guides on one side cooperating with the guides on. the opposite side to hold said cross bars in position.

2. A traveling trunk having within it on opposite sides at the four corners open ended vertical slotted guides which are shaped to receive and retain the headed ends of the cross bars of garment hangers, the guides on the front side of the trunk being so placed as to cooperate with the guides on the rear side of the trunk in holding the cross bars of the hangers from moving sidewisc within the trunk. i

A traveling trunk having within it at two of itscorners vertical guides adapted to receive the opposite ends of a plurality of garment hangers and which are reinforced and held avay fronrthe ends of the trunk by vertically arranged "cleats.

l. A traveling trunk provided with removable trays and having within it at its four corners vertical guides for garmenthangers which extend part way to the upper edge of the trunk body, said trunk bein provided also with horizontally arrange cleats which serve to support the inner ends of the trays, the outer ends of which are supported on the tops of the guides.

5. A traveling trunkhaving Within it at its four corners vertical slotted guides in combination with garment hangers having cross pieces provided with knobs fitting the guides and trays resting. on the guides and closing their upper ends.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. I

W IL'LIAM HENRY HARRISON. 

